Wednesday, August 20, 2008

A "Treasure" to Treasure

Jeff Pepper recently posted on his blog, 2719 Hyperion, about what he wants a future wave of "Walt Disney Treasures" to be. I posted a comment of said post my idea, but here it is in full detail. You see, what I want in the "Walt Disney Treasures" line is... The Complete Goofy Volume Two!

The reason is because I feel there is more "Goofy" cartoons out there than what we have in the first volume. Here's the list of cartoons as follows in chronological order:

"How to Ride a Horse" (released June 20, 1941)
Originally a segment from "The Reluctant Dragon", it was rereleased as a stand-alone short February 24, 1950. It's on DVD right now on "Extreme Adventure Fun", but having it as a part of "Treasures" line would truly be memorable.

"El Gaucho Goofy" (released August 24, 1942 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; February 6, 1943 in the U.S.)
This segment from "Saludos Amigos" is more of a bonus feature than an actual cartoon just as "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" from 1940's "Fantasia" and "Mickey and the Beanstalk" from 1942's "Fun and Fancy Free" were on "Mickey Mouse in Living Color Volume 2". That fact aside, this segment's inclusion in the "Treasures" line would mean they wouldn't have to edit out Goofy smoking on a cigarette in the beginning of the segment like they did in the "Classic Caballeros" collection.

"The Goofy Success Story" (aired December 7, 1955)
An episode from "Walt Disney Presents Disneyland", but reaired in color. My preference is the color version, but they should keep Walt Disney's original intro to this episode. Although it's already on DVD as a bonus feature to "A Goofy Movie", having it as a main program on a "Treasures" set would make it even more collectible. In case you can't tell by the title, this episode "chronicles" Goofy's climb up the ladder of success with new animation wrap-around complimenting the cartoons reused here: "Moving Day" with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, "How to Ride a Horse" (already mentioned above), and "Motor Mania" (from the first volume of "The Compete Goofy").

"Goofy's Cavalcade of Sports" (aired October 17, 1956)
Again, this episode from "Disneyland", reaired in color, would have Walt Disney's original intro (if any) and the rest of the episode in color. In case you don't remember this episode or never seen it, this Olympic-themed episode, hosted by a bald, but jolly greek man (dressed in a toga with a wreath on his head), showcases Goofy's athletic skills through his classic sports cartoons. Another episode with new animation as a wrap-around for the cartoons.

"The Goofy Adventure Story" (aired March 20, 1957)
This episode, too, would have Walt Disney's original intro (if it exsists) and the rest of the episode in color. The title is deceiving because Goofy explains to his then-red-haired son about the Goofy Family Tree with the help of his classic cartoons wrapped-around by (you guessed it) new animation.

Another bonus feature on disc one, other than the aforementioned "El Gaucho Goofy", is the music video to "You Can Always Be Number One" from the 1983 album "Mickey Mouse Splashdance". This song is considered to be the anthem for "Sport Goofy" as the Goof is called whenever he plays a major sport. So, fittingly enough, the music video has clips from Goofy's sports cartoons. The album is available on Amazon
in CD form and on iTunes where you can download the whole album or the individual songs.

It's here that disc one would be all filled up and it's time to pop in disc two. To continue, keeping in chronological order:


"Freewayphobia or the Art of Driving the Super Highway" (released February 13, 1965)
This cartoon was excluded from the first volume of "The Complete Goofy", but Leonard Maltin, who hosts the "Treasures" line, makes mention of this cartoon. However, I would like to own it on DVD and the "Treasures" line seems like the perfect home for it. It's an educational cartoon explaining the three kinds of drivers on the freeway. In the meantime, you can watch the cartoon on YouTube: Part 1 and Part 2. (Courtesy of JamieInnesNZ.)

"Goofy's Freeway Troubles" (released September 22, 1965)
Commonly known by fans as "Freewayphobia #2", this cartoon was also excluded, but mentioned by Leonard Maltin. Another cartoon I would like to see on DVD, especially in the "Treasures" line. Another educational cartoon, however, this time, focusing on one driver (played by Goofy, of course) and how to deal with car problems and emergencies on the freeway. Another cartoon to watch on YouTube: Part 1 and Part 2. (Also from
JamieInnesNZ.)

"Sport Goofy in Soccermania" (aired May 27, 1986)
Yet another cartoon that should have been on DVD, but isn't. Not in the states at least. Could be a pilot for DuckTales since it's set in Duckburg and includes Scrooge McDuck, the Beagle Boys, and Donald's nephews - Huey, Dewey, and Louie, but this cartoon focuses on the game of soccer (as indicated by the title) and features Goofy as the boys' soccer coach. (The nephews', not the Beagle Boys'.)

And finally, I've saved the best for last. Drum roll, please. The last main cartoon on disc two is...


"How to Hook Up Your Home Theater" (released December 21, 2007)
Shown in front of "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" instead of "Enchanted" as we had hoped, this is one of those cartoons that's just too good not to be on DVD. You can, however, purchase it on iTunes through here.

The bonus features on disc two would be separate interviews with two of the people who voiced current Goofy projects with Bill Farmer, the current voice of Goofy. The first interview would be with April Winchell, daughter of the late Paul Winchell. April not only voiced Peg on "Goof Troop", but also Clarabelle Cow on "House of Mouse", "Mickey, Donald, and Goofy: The Three Musketeers", and, most recently, "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse". The second and last interview would be with Jason Marsden who voices Goofy's son, Max, since "A Goofy Movie". Having interviews with these two voices on their experience working on these Goofy projects would make this all the more special.

Of course, this is just my opinion on what I would like to see on a "Treasures" set. What do you think? Should there be a volume two to "The Complete Goofy"? Be sure to let me know by leaving a comment. I just hope whoever's in charge of Walt Disney Home Entertainment reads this and picks up the idea.

UPDATE 11/01/10: Disney has finally released "How to Hook Up Your Home Theater" on DVD in Volume 1 of their "have a laugh!" series. Check out Ultimate Disney's review here. It still would be cool to get the cartoon on a Walt Disney Treasures set though.

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